Board games have been a favorite pastime for thousands of years. Today, there are countless modern versions, with some of the best selling being old favorites like checkers and chess (first introduced in 3,000 B.C.E). Other top sellers include Monopoly, Scrabble and backgammon.
Some of the most popular board games require a high degree of strategy, while others are more laid-back. One of the most relaxed is Ticket to Ride, where players build railroads to connect randomly assigned cities. It’s one of the easiest family games to learn, but it can be difficult to master.
More complex games include Root, a war game that combines elements of chess and tic-tac-toe. It’s not for the faint of heart, as it requires some math skills and has a reputation for long playing times. But if you’re up for the challenge, it is more than worth the effort.
Other top games on our list are family favorites, like Clue. In this cartoonish murder mystery, players use deduction to solve a crime that happened during a fancy dinner party gone awry.
Other board games involve physical skill, such as spinning discs in Twister or flicking your fingers in Flick ’em Up and removing blocks from Jenga. These types of games are usually more fun for younger children and may be easier to play with the help of an adult. There are also many dungeon-crawling board games that offer immersive fantasy adventures. These games, such as Disney Villainous and Gloomhaven, can be hard to get into because of their complexity, but if you are a fan of RPGs or video games, these board games might be for you.